Point Reyes: Rift Zone Trail

San Francisco: Marin Headlands - Mt Tamalpais - Point Reyes

The Rift Zone Trail runs north-south through open pasture and Douglas fir forests on the eastern fringe of Point Reyes National Seashore. The Rift Zone Trail traces a short piece of the San Andreas Fault between the Inverness Ridge (west), and Bolinas Ridge (east). The San Andreas Fault Zone - created by the collision of Pacific and North American plates - is 1 mile wide, 780 miles long and over 20 miles deep. It's responsible for thousands of earthquakes a year, but despite its volatility, visitors will find little evidence of the fault's activity in this bucolic setting.